


Truth is Just Out of Reach

by tryslora



Series: All Our Yesterdays [12]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Community: fullmoon_ficlet, Divorce, Eavesdropping, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-22
Updated: 2013-09-22
Packaged: 2017-12-27 07:51:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/976292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tryslora/pseuds/tryslora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Stiles isn’t talking, then his daughter is convinced that she’ll find a way to hear the truth, even it means listening at old air vents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Truth is Just Out of Reach

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for prompt #36 - Eavesdropping at fullmoon_ficlet. So, this takes a little departure in POV because this one had to be all about Nikki’s sneakiness. As always, I do not own the world or characters of Teen Wolf, I just want to play with them.

Nikki lies on the floor, her ear pressed to the old heating vent, listening to the low rumbling echo of voices as they travel through the ducts. Caleb sits next to her, his hand lightly rubbing the space between her shoulders. He doesn’t need to get as _close_ and she envies him his werewolf enhanced hearing. It just figures that she’s _human_ , even though she’s part of a pack. Mostly. Sort of. It’s not like she runs with the wolves, but she hangs out with them and she babysits for Derek’s kids, and that has to count for something, right?

“You’ll never hear anything good this way,” Caleb murmurs, and Nikki swats at him.

“Shush. They’ll never say anything where they think we can hear.”

Caleb taps her shoulder. “They won’t say anything where they think I’m listening,” he whispers, and he kisses her. She kisses him back because if they make just enough noise, Papa and Caleb’s dad will think they’re busy making out and forget about them.

Being sneaky is an art, and Nikki happens to be good at it. Luckily Caleb generally goes along with her plans.

“You can’t keep this from her.” Papa’s voice comes first, an edge of anger twisting it. “Stiles, it’s _dangerous_ not to tell her about Lydia. What if her heritage—”

“Do you think I’m not aware of it?” Dad’s voice rises sharply, and Nikki can just barely hear the murmur as Scott says something. She imagines that he comes between them, the low _Stiles_ and _Jackson_ spoken as he separates them. “You left, and she’s my kid,” Dad continues. “She’s a _good_ kid. It’s not like when we were teenagers, and I am _not_ going to lose her like we lost Lydia. I am _not_ going to let anything happen to her. I’m going to protect her, even if that means keeping her in the dark sometimes. Just because I took you to see her doesn’t mean that we’re letting that ghost back into our lives. Not now. Not yet.”

Nikki catches her lower lip in her teeth as she reaches out for Caleb, tangling her fingers with his and holding on hard. She has no idea what her fathers are talking about except that it has to do with _her_ and her _mom_ and that’s something Dad _never_ talks about. She wants to know more.

“Get out.” Dad’s voice is low. “Get out, Jackson. I’ve had enough tonight, and fine, we’ll try talking again tomorrow. Just… I’m done tonight.”

The door right below them slams, and a moment later the front door slams as well.

“Amanda and Angie went with him,” Caleb whispers, almost too low for her to hear, his breath a warm huff against her ear. “Mom’s still in the living room.”

Nikki nods slowly, but her attention is on the vent and the voices she can still hear. Her dad and Caleb’s dad. Stiles and Scott, friends since they were kids, just like Caleb and Nikki are now. It’s a McCall/Stilinski thing, she knows, and she wouldn’t give it up for the world.

“He still loves you, Stiles.”

“Are you taking his side now?” 

Nikki bites her lip. She can’t remember when she’s heard her dad snap at Scott like this.

“No, I’m saying that if I noticed it, it has to be obvious, right? You always said I’m oblivious to everything.”

“Scott…” Even through the vent, she hears the huff of a sigh. “I can’t tell her. You know that, right? What if it just starts everything up again somehow. This isn’t like when we were kids. It’s not dangerous. Jackson’s just a wolf, not a kanima. Derek’s… fuck, Derek’s _married_ and he has little kids and my daughter babysits for them. I just wanted her to have a normal life, even if it’s not exactly your typical kind of normal.”

“What did Jackson mean about you taking him to see her?”

This. Nikki wants to know this. She holds her breath, listening.

“We went to the graveyard, that’s all.”

And she _knows_ her dad is lying. And if _she_ knows, then everyone else knows. All the wolves anyway. She glances at Caleb, and he nods at her. Yep, lying. She worries at her bottom lip, knowing she’s going to leave a mark on her own skin and not really worrying.

“Is that where you were late last night?” Scott asks quietly. Nikki has to strain to hear now that the yelling has stopped. “When Nikki said you didn’t get home…”

“Yeah.” Dad pauses before he asks. “You and Allison stayed in contact with Jackson, right? So… why didn’t you tell me what was really going on? Why didn’t you tell me about Amanda?”

“You wouldn’t have listened. And dude, I love you. I have loved you since we were kids, but I _know_ you, and you’re one stubborn asshole when you want to be. And I’m not going to try to change your mind about anything. It’s not up to Nikki what happens between you and Jackson, and it sure as hell isn’t up to me or Allison. All I’m saying is that if you’re looking for it, he still loves you. And since I figure you’re not going to see it on your own, I thought I’d mention it.” There’s only a short pause before Scott adds. “If he hurts you again, I’ll make sure he regrets it.”

Caleb snorts and Nikki smacks him with her fingertips.

Everything goes silent beneath them.

“Vents,” Dad says— _caught!—_ and Nikki rolls away.

They manage to get the beanbag chair on top of the vent, the door opened just a crack, and they’re sprawled on her bed in a tangle before the door opens. Nikki rolls her eyes as she sits up and Caleb flushes. “Dad!”

“It’s time for the McCalls to get out of here.” Dad waits until Caleb kisses her quickly and heads down the stairs, taking them two at a time. He looks at her, and Nikki looks back, her head tilted, trying to be the very perfect picture of innocence.

She’s not sure he’s taken in by the act, but he looks like he _wants_ to believe it.

“I’m sorry about the accident,” she says quietly. “But I’m not sorry Papa came out, and I’m not sorry he’s staying. It doesn’t mean I love you any less, I promise. And I’m not moving out. I just… I want to spend time with Papa, okay? Can you try not to hate him, for me?”

Dad sighs, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. “I don’t hate him, Nik. We just don’t get along.”

“There’s a thin line between love and hate,” she says, kissing him on the cheek before he can really answer. “I should get some sleep. G’night.”

She doesn’t close the door all the way, leaning close to it so she can hear her dad in the hallway. She hears him walk a few steps and stop, leaning against the wall with a soft thud. When he starts to talk, she has to guess that he’s on the phone.

“Hey, Jackson. Text me when you get this. Look, I’m not saying you’re right, but you’re not wrong either. So we’ll start with visitation. Maybe she can help you look for a place. She’s got her mother’s sense of place and style.”

Nikki grins. Out of everything she’s overheard tonight, that’s the best. Because she’ll make sure everything works out okay, one baby step at a time.


End file.
